The Possibilities of a Decluttered Writing Space

Written byjoshua becker ·

If you’re a writer, or want to be, there are many benefits to minimizing or decluttering your writing space. Here are just a few:

Less distraction. Distraction is a problem for virtually every writer I know—and a cluttered writing space is filled with potential distractions. Sticky-notes, business cards, books, file folders, bills, and uncompleted projects all clamor for attention. Removing them helps you to better focus on the most important project—the one you are currently working.

More freedom. A distraction-free writing space puts you—rather than your clutter—in charge. Now your to-do list is determined by your priorities, not by the piles on your desk.

Increased self-confidence. A distraction-free writing space is empowering. It’s a way to prove to yourself—and others—that you are self-directed, take your work seriously, and want to be efficient, accomplished, and thorough.

New opportunities. A new day brings new opportunities and the potential to accomplish something great. Walking into a writing space strewn with unfinished work from yesterday (or yesteryear) immediately anchors you to the past, burdening today’s potential with yesterday’s baggage.

A clear writing space offers a clean slate—a place to begin again and consider endless possibilities. Even if your new day consists of completing yesterday’s project, reopening a file provides a fresh starting point and new perspectives for tackling a problem or task. That’s one of the reasons I clear my desk every evening before ending work.

The work required to minimize a writing space comes more naturally to some than others. But I have before-and-after proof that it is possible and worth the effort. When my family and I first began to minimize our home about ten years ago, my writing space looked like this:

BEFORE:

My office space in 2008, before I minimized. Virtually every wall and surface was filled with distractions and items I did not need.

Would you want to write here? Yeah, me neither. And here’s what it looked like the first time I decluttered it.

AFTER:

My writing space in 2008, after I minimized it—and added a fresh coat of paint. I removed wall hangings, every book I had not/would not use, and memorabilia. I put papers and office equipment, such as the tape dispenser and stapler, in drawers.

(By the way, these before/after photos are from the Archives of Becoming Minimalist. If you are unaware, this blog started as a journal of our family’s journey into minimalism. It has slowly grown over the past ten years into what it is today).

It is possible for any writer, regardless of their starting point, to create a less cluttered, more focused writing space.

Here is a six-step process you can use to clear clutter and enjoy the opportunity of a minimized writing space:

1. Clear out storage cabinets, drawers, and closets. Get rid of anything obsolete or unnecessary. Start with computer accessories: specialized cords that used to go to who-knows-what equipment, flash drives, old equipment manuals (which are probably available online), unused or outdated external hard drives.

Eliminate
duplicate office products—you only need one stapler and one tape dispenser,
right? Get rid of things you no longer need. When was the last time you used
that three-hole punch? If you have a calculator app on your phone, do you
really need a calculator?

Tackle consumable supplies—stationery, folders, labels, paper clips, Post-it Notes, pens, pencils, tape rolls, colored markers, and so on. If you have more than a six-month supply, get rid of some or store neatly out of sight.

2. Reduce the number of books on your shelves. How do you decide which books to keep and which to give away? Start by sorting your books into one of four categories:

Books you have never read and don’t realistically expect to read. Donate them.

Books you have read but will never go back to. Donate them.

Books you have read that have been influential in your life. Keep them. Or, lend them to someone else who might get just as much out of them as you have.

Books you have already read and know you will want to return to. Keep them.

3. Simplify walls and bulletin boards. Take a critical look at the walls that define your writing space. Are they crowded with photos, posters, or inspirational plaques? Do you have an “ego wall” of diplomas and certificates? Do you have shelving that displays a multitude of small objects? Get rid of anything that’s more distracting than helpful, and take down shelves or even a whiteboard or bulletin board you don’t need.

4. Clear out your filing cabinets. Even in the digital age, many of us still keep too many paper files. To file papers, you need hanging file folders, labels, and file cabinets. It all takes up space. It’s also a disquieting reminder that there is a whole bunch of paper stored inside those drawers that at some time or other you’re going to have to face. That time is now. Get started by removing anything that can be accessed online.

5. Remove furniture or accessories you no longer need. Have you eliminated enough unnecessary files that you can now get rid of that ugly metal file cabinet? Great! Do it. Other candidates include credenzas, bookshelves, chairs, lamps, electronics, clocks, distracting decorations, etc.

6. Create a wide-open desktop.Is your desktop cluttered with things you think you need to have at hand? Be bold in getting rid of all you can do without. Do you really need the clock since you have the time on your computer and your phone? You can write with only one pen or pencil at a time, so isn’t that enough to have on hand? When you’re satisfied that what’s on your desktop is only what you really need at hand when you’re working, arrange this stuff neatly and wipe down the desktop. Then enjoy the wide-open vista of creativity it presents.

If you’re a writer, or want to be, creative work is no doubt a big part of what you’re here on this earth to do. The ideas and stories you share make a contribution that adds value to your own life and to the lives of others.

When you minimize your writing space, you take a big step toward maximizing your potential. You free up your mind to think more clearly, be more creative, and make better decisions. And that should be reason enough to sort through some files and toss out some clutter.

About Joshua Becker

Writer. Inspiring others to live more by owning less.WSJ Bestselling author of The More of Less.

Comments

You are ignoring the fact that there are two types of people: I believe they are the « vertical filer » and the « horizontal filer ». I am the latter. Putting stuff in drawers – I am referring to the stuff related to my current project(s) – does not make sense to me, even though I have been a minimalist ever since it was called « voluntary simplicity ».

I have my parents’ stuff, and they were collectors of dozens of things for decades. Then I collected for decades. Getting rid of 90% of the stuff is a definite, and I’m not finding it to be difficult just time consuming. I even have over 25 boxes ready for a donation pick up with more to go, but I know I’ll never find these bland spaces acceptable. I want beautiful art on my walls, vases of flowers, smaller items I adore that can be corralled in a curio cabinet and so on.

I guess I’m a “modified” minimalist because going this bare would be every bit as stressful as the massive amount of stuff I currently have.

I take a little bit of offense to the term “ego wall”. I display some of the awards/diplomas I have received in my office because it’s a representation of something that I put a lot of hard work into for a long period of time. “Ego wall” gives it a negative connotation whereas for me it is a reminder of what I am capable of when I work hard.

I generally find this blog to be very uplifting and non-judgemental which is why I subscribe to the e-mails and am a participant in the Uncluttered Facebook group but this rubbed me wrong. Minimalism is supposed to be the removal of things that are not important in order to make room for the things that are. I thought we were supposed to reserve judgement on what is important to other people.

Thanks for the feedback Rebecca. If your wall is not an ego wall, then it is not an ego wall and you shouldn’t feel judgement. When I took down the awards and certificates and diplomas from the walls of my office, it became clear to me that my motivation for hanging them in the first place was ego-based. For me, it was an ego wall and I did better work after removing it.

Thank you Joshua! I truly appreciate the steps you’ve outlined for a clutter/distraction free space for writers, or anyone that longs for a clean, clutter-free productivity, work space! As I help clients sort, purge, and organize, I find that they are typically, more overwhelmed by their workspace/desk area and paper piles, than any other space within their home. Once this area is declutterized and organized, I find that it is SUPER important to establish an ongoing, clutter-free system for incoming papers, mail, etc.. Especially if there are kids in the home and several people utilize the space. It such a great feeling when it’s all done and new habits are in place to maintain the space 🙂

I think this applies to any type of creative endeavor. …I am a Folk Artist, and I know when my workshop is in chaos, (which it is right now) being creative is not very productive. ..On the road to retirement/rewiring looking forward to a weekend of decluttering, in order to clear my energy to create.

Yes, I want to support this idea. I am a Miniaturist and diorama builder, and my workbench could use some of these ideas put into use also; scraps of wood, plastic, cardboard, small tools, handtools, etc. also need culling and organizing.

I have been on a mission both at work and home to get rid of unnecessary paper files and to scan those files that seem wise to keep. I always struggle with the best place to store those electronic files knowing that if they are not backed up appropriately they can be lost with a computer crash if stored only on a hard drive. I also worry about storing them on USB drives that I then have to keep track of.
Any thoughts on what others have found to be most helpful, efficient and easy in the electronic storage realm would be appreciated. I know this is addressed in the Uncluttered course and I have listened to that segment in 2018 but I have still not settled on an effective solution for home files.

Backup, backup, backup! At least three backups of different types. 1) Cloud backup, e.g. OneDrive, Dropbox, Gdrive. 2) An at least weekly backup or synchronization to a USB-drive which otherwise remains unconnected to your computer. For this I use GoodSync, but there are plenty of alternatives available. 3) A monthly or so backup to a USB-drive which you keep off-site.

Oh, I also use FileHistory, so that’s four levels of backup. You’re protected against unintentional file deletions, encryption attacks, fire and flooding using a multi-layered backup system such as this.

I have to say, I like the “before” photo after. It feels more cozy. That said, I agree you need a space that’s clean and organized ( i just love the red walls!).
This is great inspiration for redecorating my work office.

I think there’s a difference between unproductive chaos and somewhat cluttered warmth; some people don’t work well with any distraction, but others would be lost without their projects, mood boards, and visual sources of inspiration. Ray Bradbury worked in a room crammed with childhood toys and other eccentricities, but nobody could accuse him of being unproductive.

Some of us, on the other hand, write or do other work without any dedicated space. I write and also take online courses in the living room of our apartment, and all I really need is a laptop, a printer, and a few reference books. Oh, and a couch to sit on when the folding chair at the (shared) desk gets a little too hard. My husband, an electronics hobbyist, is usually a few feet away, fixing something on our (seemingly indestructible) dining table. If one of us needs complete concentration, we say so (“please don’t test your amplifier right now, honey, I have to finish this chapter”). We’re actually glad of each others’ company, and grateful that we both have stuff to do and that we can do it here; so we make it work.

Brainwashing my mind about clutter is an ongoing process! I love the idea, my soul yearns for it and then it stops there in many ways. I have made progress..it’s not that I am messy, just terribly sentimental. I have Clutter’s Last Stand, Not For Packrats Only and other minimalist style books. It’s a cinch by the inch right? Thanks for the encouragement and thoughts.

hi love to de clutter its the only control i have sometimes, i want to digitalise some things but if the internet goes down etc leaves me a little scared, i also think its nice to pass photo,s around person to person, i think a cluttered work space overwhelmes me, i am a bit scatty at times and keeping things simple uncuttered has kept me sane, i use all methods to de clutter and take which advice i think suits me,
take care Josh xxx

This article is great for writers but also for those who want to minimize a home office area. Your tips help to pare down those things that are cluttering your space and cluttering your mind. You are left with a beautiful space that brings peace to your soul.

Joshua, I love it. And so quick easy to clean too. I’m trying to get into the habit of getting my desk back to that tidied state each time I leave my office this year – so nice to come into the next day and helps me feel far more on top of things.

As a writer and a new minimalist I’m encouraged and will share this post. Love the way minimalism has a positive psychological effect. I find decision-making easier and my focus clearer. It’s as though the clutter in my head has been cleared out with the clutter in my surroundings.

Joshua, thanks for this article, it couldn’t be more timely. My writing office is cluttered with papers piled on papers, and projects interspersed with each other. On the floor there are boxes of stuff. I feel overwhelmed. It’s a wonder that I accomplish anything.

I used to have a writing space that was what I referred to as organized chaos. Science seems to support the notion that a messy desk encourages creativity. Granted, my messy desk wasn’t intentional.

Nowadays, it’s a bit of a mixture. My writing space and table top is uncluttered, but on my walls are handwritten posters in a fat black magic marker with quotes such as:

“To gain your own voice, first you have to forget about being heard.” – Allen Ginsberg

“Conflict creates character.” – Syd Field

“Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never make it out alive.” – Elbert Hubbard

And, perhaps my favorite, which may seem to have little to do with writing on the surface, but in its own way serves as a reminder that it’s the world around us and the music of life where we gain insights into life experience, which is:

“We learned more from a three minute record, baby, than we ever learned in school.” – Bruce Springsteen

And, I do admit to having a little bit of an ego wall on one corner of my office. It was the first magazine article I ever wrote, which landed on the cover. Seems like forever ago. The story, however, which is also framed is an interview I did with a man who was diagnosed with HIV as a kid after a tainted blood transfusion (he is a hemophiliac). It’s a reminder, at least for me, to battle against the odds no matter what they may be. He’s still alive today, and is the author of a wonderful book, “My Pet Virus,” and an HIV advocate.